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Revisiting George Martin: In My Life

Not too long ago, a buddy posted a very dated group photo of some old friends. Aside from the glorious 90’s fashion, the other striking thing about the picture were his mother’s Beatles’ records strewn about the floor. Right around Thanksgiving 1995, many Americans weren’t concerned with the bird or shopping – we were glued to our televisions watching ABC’s airing of The Beatles Anthology. With that series, a second-wave of Beatlemania and anglophilia hit this side of the pond. Teens and adults alike couldn’t get enough of the Fab Four, snapping up artwork, remastered CDs, solo projects, and ensuring that even Ringo would have a comfortable retirement.

About that time, Sir George Martin, like any good producer, decided to get in on the action. Despite a long and prolific career producing hits like “You’ll Never Walk Alone” (Gerry & the Pacemakers) and “Goldfinger” (Shirley Bassey), Martin is best known for his relationship with the Beatles. He figured that “if he were to have a final record… that it should be with the music they had written.” After all, they were his “mates.”

Starting with Phil Collins, Martin chose songs that were slightly offbeat or perhaps not as popular as “Yesterday,” for example. Then he chose performers that you wouldn’t necessarily associate with 1960’s pop music, or music at all – like this surprising gem from Jim Carrey:

Other tracks include:

Come Together – Robin Williams & Bobby McFerrin
A Hard Day’s Night – Goldie Hawn
A Day In The Life – Jeff Beck
Here There & Everywhere – Celine Dion
Because – Vanessa Mae
Here Comes The Sun – John Williams
Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite – Billy Connolly
The Pepperland Suite – George Martin
Golden Slumbers, Carry That Weight, the End – Phil Collins
Friends And Lovers – George Martin
In My Life – Sean Connery

To watch the full 1998 BBC documentary on the making of In My Life: George Martin, click here. (A note, this is an uploaded VHS copy from a Youtube user, so don’t expect perfect quality! It’s still interesting, though.)